I recognise how debilitating Tourette Syndrome can be and want to ensure that all people living in Scotland with this condition can access the best possible care and support.

The decision to create, update and/or replace any SIGN guideline is made independently by the Evidence Directorate Work Programme Committee in Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

Any group or individual can propose a guideline topic, and proposed guidelines under consideration can be found on the SIGN website: Our guidelines/

The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 stipulates that the Chief Constable of Police Scotland is responsible for the policing of Scotland, and is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority for this, rather than to Scottish Ministers directly. These arrangements are in place to ensure public confidence that the police act independently, free from unwarranted Ministerial interference. This means the Scottish Government cannot interfere in operational policing matters, including their Standard Operating Procedures.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

Whilst Scottish Government regularly review the financial positions of NHS Boards, data regarding spending on translation services is not collected.

Each Health Board is responsible for their own spending decisions and Scottish Government expects that Boards will ensure best use of available resources whilst prioritising patient safety and care.

Cost of translation services can be obtained from Health Boards individually.

The Digital Strategy for Scotland Vision and the Sustainable Digital Public Services Delivery Plan (2025-2028) were both published on 18 November 2025.

• The Digital Strategy for Scotland Vision is available here:
  https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781806433698
• The Sustainable Digital Public Services Delivery Plan is available here:
  https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781806433704

The National Cleft Surgical Service for Scotland (NCSSS) is hosted within NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and provides surgical, psychological and cleft specialist nursing input for the management of children with Cleft Lip and/or Palate.

Cleft Care Scotland (CCS) is part of this, and is NHS Scotland's nationally commissioned cleft service and provides multidisciplinary assessment, surgical treatment and ongoing support via specialist teams. There are specific dental treatment pathways within this ensuring that people are seen regularly for check-ups and reviews, with this service provided by the Public Dental Service in each Health Board.

Anyone at any age affected by cleft can be referred or re-referred to CCS. People who have had corrective surgery, or are not currently under the care of the CCS, can also receive the full range of NHS treatment under the General Dental Service.

Postgraduate medical education and study leave are funded differently in England and Scotland. In England study leave is managed by each region whereas in Scotland it is managed centrally by NHS Education for Scotland and there are differences in the funding available and what it can be used for.

In monetary terms an allocation of £600 per person is made in Scotland and £812 per person in England. In England, some local offices have an approved list of study leave courses for each specialty which can restrict access to opportunities that are not on the generic list unless there are special circumstances. In Scotland, each application is reviewed for appropriateness against curriculum requirements and while lists for each programme are in development they are for guidance only rather than approval.

This new pilot scheme is a unique chance for communities to take ownership of renewable energy projects which need upgrading and to extend their operational life, bringing long-term benefits to the local area.

The Community Asset Transfer Scheme (CATS) is well-established, utilising an existing legislative framework that provides consistency of approach, a structured time bound route, and a defined appeals mechanism, if required.

Community bodies applying through FLS’ CAT Scheme will not be subject to a competitive tender. However, communities will still be required to pay rent, just as any business or community body would need to if operating a commercial wind farm on public land. FLS is responsible for undertaking due diligence and evaluation of the community proposal before agreeing a long-term lease of public land and a commercial rent.

FLS will engage with communities at an early stage on the criteria and options available to them, and signpost them to support available from the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) managed by Local Energy Scotland. Further information on the CATS notification, evaluation and decision process for repowering will be available by Spring 2026, before the first sites are notified.

The Scottish Building Standards Hub (SBSH) is an independent unit hosted by Fife Council, providing support to all building standards services across Scotland in both verification and enforcement. Responsibility for decisions regarding the professional qualifications of staff lies with SBSH.

A dedicated structural engineering hub is currently being established within SBSH to enhance technical support. However, there are no current plans to incorporate conservation-accredited structural engineering expertise within this unit. Local authorities will continue to engage structural engineers with appropriate conservation experience on a case-by-case basis, ensuring that specialist input is available when required.

We welcome the UK Government’s announcement to expand the Armed Forces Covenant into further areas of Government activity including criminal justice. We note it is planned by the UK Government to provide for the necessary legislative detail for this approach in their next Armed Forces Bill in 2026. This Bill is not yet published and we will consider carefully the full details once they are available. This further detail will help inform engagement with justice partners including Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service and the Scottish Prison Service.

We have already engaged with criminal justice agencies on how best to meet the need of veterans within custody following the ‘Veterans and Law’ report, which was published in October 2024. This included recommendations relating to identifying and supporting veterans as they move through the criminal justice system, with a coordinated, easy to access approach to support them alongside third sector organisations to help prevent offending and support rehabilitation.

We remain committed to working with criminal justice partners to further explore opportunities to help support veterans in the future, including as part of the forthcoming expansion of the Armed Forces Covenant.

Initial meetings with stakeholders took place between 20 November 2024 and 16 January 2025 including with local authorities, farmer representatives, farm employers and regulatory bodies.

Further meetings will be held with the wider sector when officials are in a position to begin consultation. We will be able to offer an update on when these meetings will take place when dates have been agreed.